A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words
by Becimpala33
Summary: Steve/Danny. Established Relationship. Set after the events of 1.20. Grace takes it upon herself to decorate Steve's cast, and Steve and Danny take it upon themselves to decorate themselves.


"May I inquire why you didn't wait for me to come pick you up at the hospital?" Danny asked, arms crossed over his broad chest, his glare directed at a sheepish-looking Steve.

"I-" Steve began, but Danny waved a hand in the air, cutting Steve off.

"What, Steven? Did you perhaps think you could drive yourself one-handed? Or maybe use the power of your Seal-strengthened mind?"

"Kamekona-"

"Kamekona, oh is he your new partner, Steven? In every sense of the word, Steven? Because somehow I'd think that you might call your ruggedly handsome Jersey boyfriend, who, might I add, saved your life today, and maybe see if he would want to come pick you up, take you home, and lavish you with personal attention?" Danny's hands were waving wildly near Steven's face, carefully avoiding touching Steve's cast.

"Personal attention?" Steve took a step forward, eyes lighting up, that smile Danny knew all too well only slightly muted by the painkillers he had forced Steve to take.

"Well now, no," Danny insisted, backing up as Steve advanced, his ass hitting the desk behind him. "Not now that you clearly prefer shaved ice over my mouth all over your bod-"

Steve pressed forward, good arm wrapping around Danny's waist and pulling him in.

"I'm not sure what part of I will not be touching you and your bad decisions you aren't understanding here, but-"

This time it was Steve who stopped Danny's words, closing the distance between them and kissing him, Danny's hands sliding up Steve's back as he returned the kiss.

"I don't think you've ever been this careful with your hands," Steve teased, teeth grazing Danny's earlobe.

"Well excuse me, but maybe the giant cast and sling on your arm are what's preventing me from slamming you against the wall," Danny retorted, half-heartedly batting Steve's good arm away. "And don't even think about turning on the patented Lieutenant Commander Puppy Dog Eyes, because you could have died today and I would have had to watch and I've got that on a pretty permanent loop in my head right now, thank you very much."

"Danno…" Steve said softly, reaching over, lightly tapping Danny's chin, trying to raise the eyes that were now glued to the floor.

"Fucking giant goof," Danny muttered, cupping Steve's face in his hands, gently bringing his head down for a soft kiss.

"You could be doing that right now," Steve said, the corners of his mouth turning up into a wicked grin as he slid his free arm down to cup Danny's ass.

"Uncle Steve? Uncle Steve?" Grace's frantic voice suddenly rang from close to the office, and Steve immediately hurried to the door, kneeling down to her eye level.

"I'm in here Grace!" Steve called, and within seconds Grace was right in front of him, eyes wide as she stared at his cast.

"I heard on the radio you got hurt," Grace said softly, voice shaking, bottom lip protruding, eyes full of tears, and she launched herself into Steve's open arms. He didn't even register the jolt as she hit his cast, cradling her close against him.

"Your dad made sure I was okay," Steve reassured her, kissing the top of her head. He met Danny's softened eyes over Grace's head. Grace followed his gaze and turned.

"Danno, you saved Uncle Steve!" Grace exclaimed, throwing herself into his arms.

"And that's the only reason I get a hug?" Danny asked in mock indignation, throwing her carefully over his shoulder.

"Put me down Daddy!" Grace squealed, laughing as her pigtails flew through the air. "I need to decorate Uncle Steve's cast!"

"Oh you do, do you?" Danny winked at her as he carefully put her down.

"I brought my markers and everything!" Grace tore off towards the entrance of H50, and then tore back, carrying a backpack. "Mommy said it would help Steve feel better."

"Well sometimes your mother is very wise, Monkey," Danny said, lifting Grace into a chair next to the desk. "And I'm sure Steve will sit very still and rest while you decorate his entire cast." As he circled around the desk to gently push Steve down into a chair, Danny leaned down to whisper below Grace's range of hearing, "Especially if he wants to get any of this sweet ass anytime soon."

Steve turned around slightly to roll his eyes at Danny, then turned back to smile at Grace. "Go for it, sweetheart," Steve said, laying his cast-wrapped arm down on the table, leaning his face into his other hand. Danny settled down to a pile of paperwork, and Grace uncapped her first marker.

Steve felt his eyes begin to close, the painkillers really kicking in, as Grace carefully drew her first pink line.

Steve snapped awake from his unexpected nap, blinking rapidly, his gaze falling on his very very rainbow cast. Grace was grinning up at him expectantly, her smile proud.

Steve's eyes scanned the entire canvas, and his eyes quickly fixated on a section near the center. A short blond man, a tall dark-haired man with what he assumed were tattoos on his arms, and a little girl with pigtails were standing by the beach, holding hands. In the water, a seal wearing a cape that said Super Seal on it frolicked in the waves, the same little pigtailed girl, now wearing a pink crown, swimming beside him.

And beneath that, in Danny's small, so recognizable handwriting, was scrawled _Danno loves you_.

Steve couldn't tear his eyes away, until he heard the worried tone in Grace's voice. "Do you like it, Uncle Steve?" she asked, her brow furrowed just like her father's.

"I love it, Gracie," Steve said, his voice thick with emotion as he hugged her tightly, kissing the top of her head. "This is the best thing anyone's ever done for me." He met Danny's eyes over Grace's head, and Danny leaned in for a kiss.

"It's because we love you, "Grace said matter-of-factly, pulling back slightly to kiss Steve's cheek. And Steve knew he had to come up with the perfect response.

By the time his cast came off, Steve had devised the perfect tactical plan. He asked the doctor to let him keep his cast, which earned a patented eye roll from Danny, and lots of commentary and hand gestures about how much it would smell, and what was he going to do, frame it, and oh yeah, it would smell, but Steve could tell Danny was touched.

But when, a few days later, Danny noticed the bandage on Steve's forearm, he went straight into patented panic mode. "What the hell, Steven, did you already manage to hurt your arm again? Are you ok?" Danny hurried forward into Steve's office, lifting the bandage to peer underneath.

"Danny, I-" Steve began, but Danny was too quick, and, as his eyes widened, he pulled the rest of the bandage carefully back, to reveal a perfectly tattooed replica of Grace's drawing, the three of them at the beach, the Super Seal and the little girl, and Danny's words, etched in permanent color on Steve's skin.

"Babe…"Danny breathed out, all other words escaping him. He reached over and pulled Steve to him, laying a soft kiss on the new tattoos before tilting his head up to kiss Steve's lips. "Jesus, the things you do to me. " Looking up into Steve's eyes, he ran a hand down his cheek. "Blinds down, pants off, now."

Steve grinned, and quickly complied.

"Cover Tattoo Grace's eyes though," Danny said, and Steve laughed, rolling his eyes before putting the bandage back on and undoing Danny's zipper.

As much as Danny yelled at Steve for running in without a plan, when it came to matters of the heart, Danny dove right in.

So it was that the very next day, Danny was the one sporting the new bandage, this one around his ring finger. Before Steve could even begin to panic, Danny carefully unwrapped the finger, revealing, tattooed in tiny cursive below the knuckle, _Steve 3 Danny 3 Grace _in a perfect circle.

"I figured, since we can't get officially married, but we're a family already, and this seemed more your style than gold anyway, so-" Danny's nervous babbling was cut off by Steve's lips, kissing their way onto his mouth and then down his neck.

"Blinds down, pants off, now," Steve said with a grin, but his eyes were soft, and his touch tender as he ran his hands down Danny's arms. "And cover Tattoo Grace's name."

Danny laughed, eyes twinkling as he pulled Steve's head down for another kiss.


End file.
